“Villages,” “towns,” “cities” – the boundaries between them
are just lines on a map to most of us. In Chittenden County, Vermont., for instance,
most shoppers and commuters don’t even notice as they cross from the “Town” of
Essex to the “Village” of Essex.

The story is different, however, for those who keep these
two distinct but overlapping municipalities running. Leaders have long
struggled with how best to coordinate the governing boards, volunteer
committees and local services of Essex Town and Essex Village. Old habits die
hard, especially if they’re a couple of hundred years old. The two
municipalities have long debated whether to merge, separate, or find better
ways to collaborate (the most recent, contentious vote was in 2005) -- but no
resolution has been found in over 50 years of tension. And ultimately, many
argue, the lack of a shared vision may have caused missed opportunities.

Meanwhile, Essex is growing; indeed, as home to about
20,000, Essex Town and Village comprise the second largest community in
Vermont. In addition, demographic changes, with a diversity of new Americans
finding homes here, add to the complexity. Clearly, it’s time for a new way to
talk.

Starting this month, area residents are ready to try exactly
that. With help from the Orton Family Foundation, Essex is launching a
two-year, citizen-based initiative to celebrate their history, identify common
values, and search for a unified vision. They’re calling it “Heart and Soul”
planning.

Essex is not alone. It is one of the hundreds if not
thousands of communities in the past decade to take on complex issues with new
tools that fit under the umbrella of “dialogue and deliberation.” They range
from Portsmouth, N.H., where a ten-year stalemate over school redistricting was
solved by citizens; to downtown Chicago, where neighborhood deliberations
helped alleviate crime; to eight council districts in New York City, where
citizens are actually creating the budgets for local parks and open space.

Each of these communities is using a 21st
century, breakthrough recipe: neighborhood conversations and community-wide
deliberation processes, aided by citizen-powered research and communication.
Through the slow and inclusive process of listening, identifying values,
weighing trade-offs among a full range of options, and linking their
discussions to real action, communities are finding sustainable solutions to
problems that many had thought were beyond resolution.

The process is neither liberal nor conservative; in fact, it
would be a stretch to call it political at all. Here, we can leave behind
polarizing left-right labels so prevalent in national politics, and look at
real-world solutions to real-world problems, right here at home. There is no
pre-ordained answer; this is an open invitation for neighborly conversation,
with all ideas welcome.

It won’t be easy or quick – Essex is launching on real, slow
democracy. But, although “Heart and Soul” planning may sound idealistic, the
truth is more down-to-earth. Communities are using these strategies because
they work.

And there’s an added bonus: researchers have found that when
we are involved in people-powered deliberations, both citizenship and
communities can be strengthened in unexpected ways.

• People who have participated in deliberations often go on
to increase their community engagement – increase voting rates, volunteering,
and interest in the news and community issues.

• Deliberation can strengthen our sense of community and
respect, helping us look beyond stereotypes and reducing problems of
marginalization.

• We all know that in this age of sound bites and position
statements, an open mind can be hard to find. But studies show that
deliberation can make us more open to new information – allowing new solutions
to emerge.

• Long after the issue of the day is resolved, deliberation
can have lasting effects, improving people’s ability to collaborate,
communicate, and solve future problems.

There’s another bonus: many researchers have noticed a link between
citizen involvement and the local economy. A 2011 report by the National
Conference on Citizenship reported a correlation between citizen engagement and
community resilience against unemployment. Researchers posit that the link may
be due to multiple factors, including:

• transferable skills (developing leadership and
deliberation skills is valuable in the workplace);

• improved information flow;

• enhanced social networking (we hire people we know);

• increased interpersonal trust (trust is critical to
business associations and investing);

Essex is launching on this project to move beyond
long-standing, troublesome issues. But with the help of the heart, soul and
courage of village and town residents, the community’s efforts will pay
dividends. Essex will not only create a clearer vision, but a stronger, more
sustainable community.

​Slow Democracy is a site dedicated to local decision making that is inclusive, deliberative, and citizen-powered. It is based on the book Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home by Susan Clark and Woden Teachout (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012).